What is the best order to watch the Resident Evil movies?

Based on the popular computer game series of the same name, Resident Evil is a collection of live-action horror movies centred around a zombie apocalypse. The series contains multiple entries and has proven very successful at the box office, becoming the most profitable game-to-film series of all time, crossing the $1 billion mark in the process!

Now if you’re new to the Resident Evil movies you need to know one very important thing: There is more than one series of movies to follow!

The original run of movies began in 2002, and followed Alice, a former covert operative played by Milla Jovovich. Alice appeared in every entry in the series, with each film furthering her story and her connection to the Umbrella Corporation – a pharmaceutical company behind the main events of the films.

The second run of movies began in 2021 and kick-started a new collection of stories. This reboot of the franchise reintroduced Resident Evil to new audiences, and ignored everything that had come before.

So, two different continuities. But if you’re trying to play catch-up, where do you start?!

In this post I will breakdown the different Resident Evil movie timelines, so that you can follow the series in order. Simply scroll down and you will find a list of both sets of movies, to help you navigate your way through the series with ease.

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The original Resident Evil movie viewing order

As noted above, the original Resident Evil movie series began in 2002. This series was very successful and included a total of six movies.

In terms of the timeline the movies were released in chronological order, so, should you wish to view the films, then simply follow this list:

• Resident Evil (2002)
• Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)
• Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
• Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)
• Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)
• Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016)

If you watch the movies in this order you will be introduced to Alice, you will see the trials and tribulations that she undertakes, and eventually you will learn the mystery surrounding her character.

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The Resident Evil reboot order

In 2021 the Resident Evil movie series was rebooted, moving away from the previous films. This new take on Resident Evil ignored everything that came before, and did not feature Milla Jovovich.

If you only wish to watch the films in this series it is very simple, just watch:

• Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)

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Production order

And finally, should you wish to watch all of the Resident Evil movies in the order they were produced (regardless of the two different continuities) then follow this list:

• Resident Evil (2002)
• Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)
• Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
• Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)
• Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)
• Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016)
• Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)

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If you’re a fan of the Resident Evil movies, or you’re just getting into Resident Evil, then you may wish to know that you can purchase all six of the original Resident Evil movies in one handy, dandy Blu-ray boxset.

Resident Evil: The Complete Collection contains all six films from the original series (aka the films with Milla Jovovich), in high-definition.

The Blu-ray set can be purchased from all good entertainment retailers, including Amazon US and Amazon UK.

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Thank you for taking the time to read this post on the Resident Evil movies – I hope it has proved useful. For more movie-related posts, be sure to check out the recommended reads below.

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